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Individuals who experienced abuse by Catholic clergy have voiced renewed hope following their first encounter with Pope Leo at the Vatican.

The board president, heading the anti-abuse organization, stated that the Pope's choice to meet with them so early in his leadership sent a strong message about his dedication to addressing the problem.

Worldwide Zero-Tolerance Policy Advocated

The group is advocating for a global strict approach that would defrock any priest who admits to or is found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. This policy has been implemented in the US.

The Pontiff acknowledged that there is "resistance in some parts of the globe" to this initiative, according to Hickey.

"We were all being realistic when we acknowledged that there is pushback," they stated.

Inherited Issue

The current pontiff, who assumed the role in May, has inherited this persistent problem that has haunted the Catholic Church for decades.

Earlier attempts to resolve the situation included an historic summit on paedophilia within the Church and changes to church laws to clearly outlaw abuse.

Deeply Felt Connection

For the representative, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, the drive for worldwide adoption of the policy is deeply meaningful. The Canadian activist revealed they were victimized by a priest who was later transferred between different parishes.

"Hopefully this will establish the direction for his papacy, because we aim to work with him," Hickey expressed. "Both sides share the same goal, we seek to eliminate abuse by religious officials."

Significant Meeting

Multiple members of the organization, which represents survivors and advocates from over thirty nations, engaged with the Pontiff in his official residence.

The discussion, originally scheduled for 20 minutes, lasted to a full hour, during which the religious leader "primarily heard to us," according to the representative.

The pontiff was characterized as "quite empathetic" when hearing the account of a female survivor victimized at a church-run institution for native youth in North America.

Hickey noted the leader was "tender" about their own story and appeared "modest, funny, and approachable."

"Survivors have long wanted a seat at the table and I didn't feel like he was making empty promises," Hickey commented. "I believed like he was sincere, practical, and receptive and keen to work with us."

Canon Law Reforms

The group is advocating that changes to canon law will enable the implementation of the zero-tolerance policy worldwide.

They have spoken with experts and gathered documents that they will present to Pope Leo.

"He seemed interested in reviewing it," Hickey remarked.

Responsibility Highlighted

A recent church-ordered document emphasized the "importance of a streamlined protocol for the stepping down and/or dismissal of Church leaders or staff in cases of abuse or negligence."

The document also pointed out that survivors repeatedly stressed the "critical requirement for church leaders and senior officials to be made responsible for inaction and cover-up."

Path Ahead

Hickey shared they informed the pontiff at the start of their meeting: "This is as much a challenge for him to participate in a conversation as it was for us."

After the encounter, they expressed hope for progress.

"We realise it's not something that's going to be resolved quickly, but at the conclusion, coming together and establishing a relationship and persisting to strengthen that bond is a step in the correct path," they stated.

Hickey added that they shared with Pope Leo: "Even though it's a dark chapter, I believe like we can change how the story ends - he valued that."